PRESTIGIOUS CANADIAN TRAVEL GROUP SEEK BUSINESS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

15 January 2007

Tourism Minister, Maria Eagle, recently hosted a group of senior Canadian travel industry Presidents at a dinner at Hillsborough Castle.

The Canadian group comprised senior executives from travel companies specialising in incentive travel - the Meetings, Incentive, Conference and Exhibition (MICE) Presidents. They were participating in a four day visit which showcased the best that Northern Ireland has to offer the incentive travel market.

The group's visit to Northern Ireland was organised by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board in association with Hastings Hotels and Tourism Ireland.

Welcoming the group, Minister Eagle said: "Northern Ireland has a number of unique selling points that will have a strong appeal for this high spending market - such as our privately owned estates, spas, golf courses and outstanding scenic routes. I am confident that our Canadian guests, who are on their first visit to Northern Ireland, will be motivated to sign up Northern Ireland tourism businesses to their travel programmes for next year."

NITB Chief Executive, Alan Clarke, said: "This is the most prestigious group of business and incentive travel buyers we have hosted to date in Northern Ireland. The programme that NITB and its partners have put together aims to impress - and ultimately win bookings.

"Business and incentive tourism is currently worth £16 billion in the United Kingdom and it is our responsibility to maximise the potential of this highly lucrative market here in Northern Ireland. Business tourists not only spend on average three to four times as much as a leisure tourist, but research also indicates that one third of business tourists will return with family and friends on a leisure visit."

Howard Hastings, Managing Director of Hastings Hotels added: "We are delighted to welcome our visitors from Canada. These guests are a highly sophisticated group of corporate incentive buyers and their interest brings confidence that Northern Ireland is becoming established on the list of excellent business and incentive travel destinations. Hastings Hotels is delighted to be playing its part in facilitating and hosting this visit, and are thrilled by the support we have received from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Tourism Ireland."

NOTES TO EDITORS: